Pets make us happy

Found this fascinating.

From the Brakke Report, a veterinary consulting firm’s weekly email, comes this juicy tidbit:

> HUMAN ANIMAL BOND A survey of 12,000 women in 21 countries conducted by Boston Consulting Group found that pets were by far the most common answer to a question asking what makes them extremely happy; 42% of the women surveyed said that their pets make them “extremely happy.” Other responses included sex (27%), food (19%), and shopping (5%). (Chicago Tribune)

What’s full of holes and still floats on water?

Evidently copper with uneven surfaces and treated with a hydrophobic chemicals. That’s what.

According to a BBC News article today, researchers in China have found a way to get postage-stamp sized pieces of copper to float more successfully than any other known material.

The team treated the copper in two stages. First, they deposited very tiny structures on its surface, essentially giving the metal a rough and uneven coating.

The second stage was to dip it into a “hydrophobic”, or water-repelling, chemical.

The result is a metal with a “superhydrophobic” surface, and a boat that floats despite being covered in holes.

“Water won’t penetrate the pores in the bottom of the boats, even when they are carrying a load,” said Dr Qinmin Pan, the chemist from Harbin Institute of Technology who led the research.

Superhydrophobic materials already have many hi-tech applications.

They are particularly useful in “microfluidic devices” where the flow of miniscule amounts of liquid have to be controlled. In these devices, water can be used to carry information on a chip.

But according to Dr Pan, this is the first time they have been used to make boats.

“We believe these boats are some of the strongest ever built – in terms of the mass they can carry,” said Dr Pan.

The scientists cited inspiration from the hydrophobic properties of lotus leaves and shark skin. There is so much around us that is inspiring. How long has it been since you looked into the microscopic level of things to find answers? What impact will this have on product design? How can we use this to serve a customer better?

Umair Haque has a post at Harvard Business on the seven lessons learned from the Obama campaign. It’s very thoughtful, clear and insightful.

There is always someone who can say it better. I knew there would be. I would definitely suggest you read it.

I’ve recently come across Umair’s writings and find them fascinating. His words got me thinking about how these lessons overlap nicely with the notion of interconnectedness or selfless altrusim.

As crazy as it sounds, I even think the passage of laws regulating treatment of feed animals in California could be evidence that a higher purpose is evolving in our country and our world. Does enlarging chicken coops indicate a larger ideal for treatment of all citizens of the globe? Or, is it simply giving the birds more room to breathe?

Did the world cross the threshold this week? Like Umair says, are we seeing the 21st century evolution of business organization and strategy?

In the 21st century, there is nothing more asymmetrical – more disruptive, more revolutionary, or more innovative — than the world-changing power of an ideal.

But today, I’m stuck.

I’ve found it absolutely impossible to adequately reflect on the results of the presidential election from a societal, cultural or political perspective. There are many more people who will address the 2008 election more eloquently and insightfully than I could ever dream to, so I won’t even attempt it.

Suffice it to say, I am proud of my country for many reasons, and last night amplified my hope for the future. But the lens I will use as I try to cobble together my thoughts is one focused on ideas, communications and business.

To me, last night was the manifestation of Web 2.0.

The power of the collective one.

The collapse of the Berlin Wall and communism both occurred during my adult life, but I didn’t feel personally attached to these world events. Don’t get me wrong, I remember processing the significance of the pictures on my television, but there remained a disconnect.

Right or wrong, as far as I was concerned, these seismic shifts in world order happened because of government intervention and global pressures. Big entities clashing. The movement of the many, reacting to pressure from the top down. (Glossing over subtleties? Without question. But, that was my state of mind in the early 90s.)

Last night, as the tide of history washed in to shore, and the pictures of both celebrations and concessions came in from around the world, I was struck by how personally involved I felt.

This was not just the movement of many.

It was the power of the collective one.

How could a moment of initial curiosity about this first-term Senator from Illinois move from an innocent Google search to the perception that I made a difference? Not only was I witnessing the epic event in Grant Park, but I was also sharing the success of a candidate with whom I had developed a multi-faceted relationship.

A seemingly insignificant donation, made in response to an email request, became enveloped in emotion. Like a child bringing a box of coins to Sunday school with wide-eyed hope, mine was a contribution that, in campaigns past, would have not even been felt (or sought) by political elders.

Certainly he received contributions from many wealthy donors giving large sums, but by building and nurturing relationships on an individual level — something unattainable or untried in the last couple of national elections — Obama was the first that I know of to authentically harness the power of citizens to act.

A clear, compelling position, communicated across media, that started contextually relevant conversations. It demanded participation and collaboration. It allowed me to have a unique relationship with a concept and to see the importance of my story in that of the masses.

I am but one voice. Yet I feel it has risen above the din. I don’t believe there is a more powerful example of the way to make a brand work in the world today.

PSFK pointed out a cross-cultural, international study that Nokia conducted recently about how we carry our phones. It also qualitatively measured the differences in the different ways we “carry” other essentials.

One of the key insights for me is the notion that there are three primary things we all carry:

• keys
• money
• phone

Keys and money connect us to safety, security and sustenance. A phone allows us to “transcend space and time.”

For my b2b clients, my non-profit clients and my healthcare clients — are there similar “essentials?” What are they and how can we create experiences that complement these artifacts?

As I continue to navigate these personally uncharted waters, I continue to be amazed at what I have yet to learn. So many questions to answer.

Check out the slideshow that Nokia prepared. Let me know if you find other insights worth mining. I’d love to discuss them.

| View | Upload your own